


In Dalaam, There is a Warrior

by Blueleaf12



Series: The Music of Earthbound [3]
Category: Mother 2: Gyiyg no Gyakushuu | EarthBound
Genre: A little, Aphantasia, F/M, M/M, Poo is aro ace because i said so, Self-Doubt, Self-Reflection, Some Humor, also because the women of Dalaam being obsessed, is a little creepy to me, just a little, with a 16 year old at the MAX
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-13
Updated: 2019-07-13
Packaged: 2020-06-27 14:58:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,952
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19793281
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blueleaf12/pseuds/Blueleaf12
Summary: Poo goes back to Dalaam one last time for some last minute meditation and training before fighting Giygas. Someone is waiting for him there.





	In Dalaam, There is a Warrior

“Why are you coming with me to Dalaam again?” Poo asked Ness as they prepared a Teleport α in the Cave of the Present. 

Ness shrugged. “Just to tag along, I suppose. Get some fresh air. I might go crazy if I'm here for longer. You need more stuff, anyway.” He cast a quick glance at Jeff and Paula a little ways away, playfully bickering about Tony in Winters. “I’m also not getting involved in _that_.”

“Understandable.” Poo replied. 

Ness and Poo lined themselves up for the teleport once again, using the burned skid marks from Poo and Jeff’s earlier teleport. Ness, in the front, initiated the teleport, and they threw themselves into the void once again.

Poo knew he was home when he felt the sun beating down on him, and the sudden change in air pressure that made him feel slightly dizzy.

He and Ness skidded to a halt, once again turning dirt and mud in their wake.

Ness took a breath of the thinner air, and took his hat off his head. He wiped at his forehead, beads of sweat already forming. “Sweet _Venus_ I forgot how friggin’ hot Dalaam was.” He put his hat back on quickly, not wanting to burn.

Poo managed a laugh. “You get used to it after a while.”

“I doubt it, but sure.”

Poo looked around. Before he could say anything, he heard someone shout behind him, “Prince Poo has returned!”

And that’s when all hell broke loose.

Again.

Poo watched Ness’s eyes bug out in the opposite direction that Poo was facing. He heard the sound of a stampede behind him. Poo felt himself turn around in slow motion before the crowd of women and girls surrounded him. 

They ungracefully pushed Ness aside, surrounding Poo and talking all at once. 

To Ness, they all spoke at once, some in a language that he could not understand. He couldn’t pick our any individual voices in the chaos. 

“M-my quest isn’t over yet! I’m not staying!” Poo spoke as loud as he could in his best Prince Voice (which was basically just Trucy’s Excess Express customer service voice), but it was drowned out by the other women.

“Wait, Prince Poo!” One voice called out. The crowd went quiet and parted somewhat, letting a younger girl in, one with light brown hair and pigtails. Ness shuffled in behind her, sliding over to Poo before he could get ignored more.

Poo stiffened when he heard her voice. Ness saw sweat pop out on Poo’s brow, the first of his kind. “Oh, _there_ you are!” Poo said, letting out an awkward laugh. “I was wondering where you were!”

Ness stared at the girl. She was a little younger than Poo, but older than Ness. She glanced at Ness, then looked away, not acknowledging him.

_Is_ this _that girl you grew up with you were telling me about when we first met?_ Ness asked in Poo’s mind.

_Yes. Yes, that’s her._ Poo replied back, suppressing a mental groan. He then forced a grin on his face to her. “It’s been too long!”

_Doesn’t she like you?_ Ness asked.

_...Unfortunately, yes._ Poo replied. All _of the Dalaamese women like me, Ness._

_Ouch._

_I would rather die to you know who a thousand times than marry one of them._ Poo replied, wondering in that moment why he bothered to return after all. 

She crossed her arms at him. “It sure has!” Her voice dripped in annoyance. “I was worried about you! You didn’t even stop by to say how things were going, or when you were coming back!”

Poo let out an awkward laugh once again. “Well… my friend Ness and I—”

“—Hi.”

“—haven’t completed our mission yet.” Poo said. “We’re incredibly close to the end. That’s… why I’ve returned.”

She raised an eyebrow at him. “Oh?”

Ness watched the sweat continue to bead on Poo’s forehead. “I… this is hard for me to say, but… _I may not come back after the final fight._ ”

The crowd of women went dead silent. Poo felt the women staring into his back, setting his insides ablaze.

Nothing would quench the look of absolute fury on the pigtail girl’s face. 

_“What?”_ She demanded.

Ness heard Poo swear in his mind. “W-well, my Master and The Eternity said—”

“—Screw what your master and The Eternity have to say!” She yelled, stomping her foot on the ground. She stalked right up to Poo’s face. “I can’t believe how _dumb_ you are!”

Ness hid behind Poo. Even though Poo’s body, he could still feel the rage and _fear_ she felt.

“You _should_ have just stayed in Dalaam where you belonged! You _are_ our only crowned prince! And _my_ crowned prince!” She wailed, before turning around and running off.

Poo was frozen in place as he watched her run off. He and Ness then locked eyes, looking at each other with shocked and stunned expressions.

Poo heard some of the other adults whispering about him and the pigtail girl. “Oh, they’re just some young teenagers in love!” She said wistfully, making Poo cringe.

_I shouldn’t have come._ Poo said, his voice almost a whine in Ness’s head. _I forgot about all this being with you, Jeff, and Paula. I want to go back._

_Didn’t you say how important your Mu training was for clearing your mind and honing your PSI?_ Ness asked, and let out an audible breath once the crowd dispersed.

“...Yeah, I did.” Poo said, bringing the conversation out loud. He sighed, then turned towards the peak he sat on earlier. He still felt the embarrassment and shame. It burned hot in him, threatening to give him a fever. “I guess it still wouldn’t hurt to try.”

***

Poo spared one last glance to Ness before climbing the familiar rope to the top of the peak. From the top, he watched Ness wander off.

Now, he could think.

He felt a breeze wash over him, drying the sweat that lingered on the back of his neck as he sat down on the dirt. He crossed his legs, and rested his linked fingers in his lap.

He closed his eyes, and waited.

The girl with the pigtails did not come.

He felt himself begin to meditate, to enter back into that state when completing his Mu training. Poo still had feeling in his arms and legs. They were not torn off, or broken. However, his eyes and ears are… not. He didn’t hear or see _anything_.

He felt the cold presence of his ancestor slide up against him. Silence passed between them. Then a voiceless, textureless voice filled his mind. 

“(Ah, I see that you’ve returned.)” Poo’s ancestor said. “(You have completed your Mu training already. Why _have_ you returned?)”

Poo struggled to find his voice. The mere _thought_ of his ancestor next to him sent shivers down his spine, and threatened to close his windpipe in fear. “(I’m… about to fight… the bringer of evil.)” He paused. “(The Eternity sent me.)”

“(Yes, I’m aware. But that still doesn’t explain why you came back. Would you _like_ me to break your legs, and take your arms again?)” Poo’s ancestor taunted.

Poo cringed again. However, there was a voice in the back of his mind, another voiceless, textureless voice, that seemed to be his voice of reason. _(This isn’t real. He can’t actually hurt you.)_

Poo felt himself shake his head. “(No. I’m here for… advice. For preparation. For _something_. More training. Something. Before… the end.)”

Poo’s ancestor went quiet. So quiet, he thought his ancestor left. However, his ancestor spoke again. “(There’s nothing else for me to teach you. But you _are_ aware you may not come back?)”

“(Yes.)” Poo replied. “(I know. I _think_ I’m ready. But I don’t… feel strong enough to know if I will succeed—)”

“(—What is with all this doubt, boy!?)” Poo’s ancestor’s voice boomed in his mind. He felt his ancestor creep closer, surrounding his body. Poo thought he would drown. “(You accepted the training I gave you with no questions. You had no doubt then, boy, even with the pain that came with it. Why is that different now?)”

Poo, dumbfounded, didn’t reply. “(I don’t… know.)” He finally said. He thought for a little longer. “(I… suppose it was because I was alone with you. I had no one else. Now… I have friends that I care about. I don’t want anything bad to happen to them.)”

“(I see.)” Poo’s ancestor said. “(What about your subjects when you first completed your training? What if you had _actually_ died?)”

Poo went silent. He thought back to the girl with pigtails, that absolute fury in her eyes, and the other women swooning over him. That embarrassment and shame returned, that hotness battling his ancestor’s coldness. 

“(They’d just… have to accept it, I suppose.)” Poo said, his ‘voice’ deadpan.

“(Exactly.)” Poo’s ancestor said. “(And that’s what you and your friends need to do, too. The Eternity said you would defeat Giygas. You _have_ to believe in The Eternity, but also in _yourself_. Yourself, and your new friends.)

“(That’s all I can say to you, Poo. Wake up. Go and fight Giygas. Face the bringer of evil with your head held high.)”

***

Ness stood in front of the pigtail girl, trying to block her view from Poo on the peak. However, Poo was a good few dozen feet in the air, easily seen, and the pigtail girl was taller than Ness. It was more or less futile.

“Nessa, you will _not_ stop me from seeing Poo!” She said, trying to shoulder past Ness.

“One thing, it’s _Ness,_ and two, he’s busy! You can’t interrupt him again.” Ness objected, not moving from his position. He felt panic rise up in him as he inched dangerously close to the edge of Dalaam. “And _three_ , we’re, uh, dating! I don’t appreciate you flirting with hum!” The lie came so naturally to his lips, even Ness was taken aback. He felt some blush rise up to his face in embarrassment. 

Ness watched the girl’s face go from anger, to disgust, to horror. She stared at him, then raised her extended palm. Before Ness could say anything, she brought her hand down _hard_ , slapping Ness across the face and doing 1 HP of damage on his massive health bar. He was too stunned from the recoil to watch her walk away. 

He cupped his stinging cheek in his hand as he recovered his bearings. Ness looked up to the peak and watched Poo climb back down the rope. Poo stared back.

“Was it her again?” Poo asked as he jumped down from the rope onto solid ground.

“Yeah.”

“What did you say to her _this_ time?”

“I, uh, told her we were dating.”

Poo continued to stare at Ness. He opened his mouth a couple times with no sound coming out. Finally, he managed, “Do you _know_ how much shit I’d get into if people thought I was dating a _foreigner_?”

“The girls will leave you alone.” Ness said.

Poo didn’t reply.

“I can feel the relief coming off you.” Ness pointed out with a grin.

Poo didn’t reply.

Ness cleared his throat. “ _Anyway,_ I got you some stuff while you were meditating!” Ness said, finally letting go of his stinging cheek as he shrugged his backpack of his shoulders. He let Poo look at the items while he continued on, “How’d it go? Did you get any new cool psychic powers?”

Poo looked up from the backpack as he handed it back to Ness. “Nah.” He said, then added with a smile, “I have everything I need, right here. With you, Jeff, and Paula. That’s all I needed.”

**Author's Note:**

> I tag aphantasia in here mostly with Poo's ancestor stealing his eyes and ears. That's pretty much how my mind is. I have no mind's eye, and I even more recently found out I don't have a mind's ear, either. So if I think of a song, for example, or speak to myself in my head, I don't actually hear it. Blake Ross, the cocreator of Firefox has aphantasia, and calls that voice in his head his "milk voice". Because it is the voice in your head that 'reminds you to get milk'. Hence the scene with Poo and his ancestor in that way. 
> 
> And if ya'll are interested, I have one more of these currently planned out for this series. I'm also possibly taking suggestions for certain songs.


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